Henry’s buzzer-beater lifts Lady Chants past Panthers

Angelica Henry scored 10 points on the night, but it was her final two that were the most crucial as the sophomore guard blew past a defender and converted a layup as time expired to give Coastal Carolina a 59-58 win over High Point on Monday evening in Kimbel Arena.

The win, Coastal’s first over High Point since February 2010, moves the Chanticleers to 13-11 on the season and 6-9 in Big South play. High Point, losers of five straight for the first time since the 2004-05 season, falls to 14-10 overall and 9-5 in conference play.

Trailing by one with 14 seconds to play, Henry received the inbounds pass after a Coastal timeout and attempted to set up the winning play. However, Henry’s entry pass was deflected in the air by a High Point defender with six seconds to play. The Indianapolis, Ind. native jumped up and came away with the loose ball and proceeded to drive right down the lane. Henry kissed the ball off the glass and in as she was fouled giving the Chants its 12th home victory of the season.

“This was a great win for us tonight,” said head coach Alan LeForce. “We knew we could play with and beat this team coming into the game and we proved we can do just that. The ladies played great on the defensive end of the floor and did a great job on the glass. Olivia [Irick] made some big shots down the stretch and Angelica showed great composure in making that winning play.”

Olivia Irick led Coastal with a season-high tying 20 points on 7-of-14 from the field with six points coming from deep. The senior also paced the Chants with a game-high eight boards, seven of which came on the defensive end, to go along with her three steals. High Point’s Shamia Brown led all scorers with 26 points on 12-of-18 from the field.

Brown scored 10 straight points as the Panthers turned a three-point halftime deficit into an 11-point lead over the first 4:09 of the second half. Coastal then turned three High Point turnovers into seven points as the Chanticleers used a 10-0 run of their own to cut the visitor lead to one at 45-44 with 10:51 to play in regulation.

High Point would restore its lead out to as many as five points over the ensuing four minutes until Kayla Cook, Irick and Henry combined for six straight points to give Coastal a one point edge with just over four minutes remaining. The teams then exchanged four baskets before Brown’s final points of the night put the Panthers up by a point, setting up Henry’s heroics.

Irick scored nine of Coastal’s first 17 points to push the Chants ahead by an early four points at 17-13. However, High Point responded with a quick 9-0 run of its own to take a 22-17 advantage with 7:59 to play in the half. Coastal then reeled off an 8-2 run, with five coming from the hands of freshman Shatia Cole, to regain the lead at 25-24.

High Point regained a four-point advantage on a Jazmin Cromartie free throw with 2:24 left before the half. Coastal once again rallied to take the lead on a 7-0 run that give the Chanticleers a 34-31 lead at the end of the first stanza. Cook started the scoring streak with a layup for her fifth and sixth points of the game before Henry put the white and teal clad Chanticleers back in front with a 3-pointer followed by a pair of foul shots on the next trip down the floor.

The Chanticleers finished the game shooting 42.1 percent (24-of-57) from the floor and held a 43-29 rebounding margin. Additionally, the Chants outscored the Panthers 23-18 in points off turnovers and 24-9 in bench points. High Point shot 44.6 percent (25-of-56) on the night and held a 40-28 advantage in points in the paint.

Coastal Carolina returns to the hardwood of Kimbel Arena on Saturday at 2 p.m. as hosts to longtime rival Charleston Southern. The game will mark the final time a Chanticleer team will play a regular season game in Kimbel Arena as the men’s and women’s basketball teams along with volleyball program move into the new Student Recreation and Convocation Center this summer. Prior to the contest, seniors Olivia Irick, Kira Carter, Courtney Grambley and Taylor Epley will be honored for their accomplishments and contributions to the Coastal Carolina women’s basketball program.